Amelia Earhart in 1928 became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. However, she was a passenger (keeping the flight log) and not a pilot. Wilmer Stultz was the pilot. They left Newfoundland and landed in Wales. Children can learn more about Earhart at: Amelia Earhart.
Sliced bread
Sliced bread was sold for the first time in 1928 at the Chillicothe Baking Company in Chillicothe, Missouri. Before then, people sliced their own bread. Bread consumption increased, because people found it easier to grab a slice and go. Consumption of butter, jam, and other spreads increased as well. For a short time during World War II sliced bread could not be sold. The invention led to the saying, “the best thing since sliced bread.”
Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, somewhat by accident, in 1928. He had been researching effective germ killers when he noticed that a discarded petri dish containing penicillin was killing staph bacteria. He conducted further research and discovered the amazing strength of penicillin. However, he could not figure out how to mass produce penicillin. Howard Florey and Ernst Chain, however, solved that problem. All three shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1945. They have saved millions of lives. Older children could learn more at: Alexander Fleming.
Padre Island National Seashore
Padre Island National Seashore was established in 1962. Located along the Gulf of Mexico, the national seashore is the longest unprotected barrier island in the world. Five species of sea turtles (Kemp’s ridleys, loggerheads, leatherbacks, hawksbills, and greens) nest on the island. More than 380 species of birds live on the island or migrate through the area. Children can learn more at: Padre Island.